


It Never Happened

by AshesFall (Cloud_Nine)



Series: Lucky Sevens [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 16:18:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7539448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloud_Nine/pseuds/AshesFall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ino is worried about Sakura. Shikamaru doesn't trust Team 7. Chōji just wants his team to be happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Never Happened

“Should I go see her?” Ino fretted, wringing her hands. Sakura had been home for a few days now and Ino wanted to see her friend. 

Ino could remember her father sitting her down and explaining that Sakura and her team had been declared missing in action. As the child of a shinobi and a daughter of the Yamanaka clan she knew the dangers that came with being an active duty kunoichi, but Ino had never really expected that those dangers could happen to her or her friends. 

Ino had been scared for Sakura and Team 7 at first, Shikamaru and Chōji had been frightened as well, but the longer they were missing, Ino watched the shift in Asuma-sensei go from concerned to grim. Just a week before Team 7 appeared at the gate Inoichi had sat Ino down once again and began talking to her about what would happen when Team 7 was moved from MIA to presumed KIA. Thankfully it never happened. 

“Your dad said to wait for her to come to you,” Chōji reminded Ino popping a chip in his mouth. 

Team Asuma had made themselves comfortable in a grassy area of a training field as they spoke, something that suited Shikamaru just fine. 

Ino scowled, “I know that but what if she doesn’t come to me?” Her teammates could hear the worry in her voice. 

Shikamaru sighed and crossed arms behind his head. “Then you leave her alone,” Shikamaru said with his normal board drawl. Unlike with Ino and her father, when Team 7 had been declared MIA, Shikamaru had sought out his father and asked questions. He had learned the facts, how likely Team 7 was to return. How likely they were to be unharmed if they returned and what it would be like if they did not return. 

“I can’t do that!” Ino shouted kicking out at her lazy teammate. “Sakura is my rival for Sasuke-kun’s love!” 

Shikamaru didn’t both trying to avoid the kick but he did manage to catch Ino’s eye. “Look, Ino, I know you and Sakura were close-”

“Are! She’s my rival!”

“Were close,” Shikamaru said ignoring the blond. “But things are different now. You don’t know what she went through. You can’t expect things to be exactly the same.” 

Chōji offered a sad smile, “Shikamaru is right Ino, my Uncle Chōjiro was very different after he escaped that P.O.W. camp when we were seven, remember?” 

Ino did remember, with the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi families being as close as they were she had spent many afternoons as a young child playing with various ‘aunts’ and ‘uncles’ who she had no blood relationship with. Chōji ’s uncle Chōjiro had been one such ‘relative’. 

He had young and unafraid to get down in the dirt with clan children until one day he didn’t come home from a mission. Chōjiro was one of the lucky ones, after two years of MIA status he returned to the village but the once cheerful young Akimichi had never been the same. 

“Yeah,” She whispered clenching her hands. 

Shikamaru and Chōji shared a concerned look, a quiet Ino was never a good thing. 

The afternoon sun having reached it’s highest point glittered above the training ground and a cool Fire Country breeze ruffled the grass. “I think I’m going to head home,” Ino said pushing off from the ground. 

“Troublesome,” Shikamaru muttered pushing himself up the second Ino was out of sight. Chōji did the same without a word. They knew Ino better then Ino knew herself sometimes. Whether she knew it or not, Ino was seeking out her best friend. 

“We following her?” Chōji asked already knowing the answer. 

Shikamaru just sighed and the two walked after their third teammate. 

\--

Her feet were restless, the talk with her team had left her feeling irritated and sad. She had intended to go home, maybe stop by the flower shop and work with her hands to work off some of the energy she felt buzzing beneath her skin. 

Her intentions went out the window when she saw a familiar shock of blond hair standing in line at a vegetable stall. Naruto, it had to be Naruto.

“Naruto!” Ino heard Sakura shout. Her pink haired rival was a few stalls down packing away her purchases “Make sure to get cabbage!” 

From a distance, Sakura was nearly unrecognizable. Her hair no longer trailed down her back, and she was alarmingly thin. 

Even the way she moved was different. No longer did Sakura move like a civilian playing ninja, now she moved like she was a kunoichi like she was dangerous. 

The moment their eyes met, Ino felt the old nickname ‘Forehead girl’ welling up on her lips. 

For a second it was like it everything was normal, that nothing had changed, that it had never happened, then like a glass dropped to the ground the moment shattered. Ino could see the cracks in her friend, she saw it in the ways she moved and in the way she stood. Ino could see it in the shadows of Naruto and Sasuke standing just outside of sight and in the guarded stances of her own teammates who had just arrived. Team 7 and Team 10 stood as if on opposite ends of a battlefield. 

Naruto and Sasuke flanked Sakura and Shikamaru and Chōji did the same for Ino. It was in the moment that Ino could see what Team 7 had become. 

Team 7 was broken. 

“Ino,” Sakura said strongly remaining in her position. 

“Sakura,” Ino said back. “I haven’t seen you in a while.” 

Sakura grimaced and Ino nodded, there was no reason to open that can of worms. 

“I’m glad you’re back,” Ino said sincerely. 

Sakura could only offer a brittle smile in return. 

“Sakura,” Naruto interrupted shooting a concerned look at Sasuke who was beginning to get twitchy and kept eyeing Shikamaru like a possible enemy. 

The pink haired girl swore softly and moved to stand by her teammate. “We need to go,” Sakura said mostly to herself not wanting to have to restrain Sasuke from attacking a fellow Leaf shinobi. 

Sakura shared a quick smile with Ino and turned away with Naruto and Sasuke falling in behind her. 

“Sakura!” Ino shouted before her rival could walk too far away. The pink haired girl paused and Ino bit her lip unsure if what she was going to say was the right thing. “Your hair looks good short.” 

Sakura turned just enough to catch Ino’s eye one more time and smiled. 

\--

Shikamaru and Chōji followed Ino at a distance, mostly because Ino liked to walk quickly compared to Shikamaru’s lazy amble. Still, they kept a close eye on their teammate and the moment she stopped in the middle of the market they sped up. 

“She found them,” Chōji said knowing Ino just as well as Shikamaru did. The two sped up, for a moment it looked like Team 7 was about to attack. With Sakura at the front and Naruto and Sasuke behind her Shikamaru felt his heart jump, Ino wouldn’t stand a chance. 

The young Nara genin was a genius. He saw things that others did not, because of his intellect being a civilian was never an option, only the life of a shinobi would sustain him and challenge his mind. In that moment the young genius saw only danger. Three wild-eyed killers had been let out into the public. 

They had a look about them now. Something that only a year ago would have never been considered. Shikamaru had seen that look in the eyes of many of his clansmen, even in the eyes of his own father after a mission gone wrong. 

Konoha took good care of its shinobi forces, very good care. In fact, the level of care Konoha shinobi received was the reason why there were so few monsters that came from the Village. Shikamaru only knew two off the top of his head, Orochimaru, and Uchiha Itachi. 

For whatever reason Team 7 hadn’t yet begun to heal, so their eyes resembled those of the monsters. 

‘I could catch them with my shadow possession before they could reach us,’ Shikamaru thought. ‘Once captured, Chōji could easily subdue them. The only problem, if we miss we won't get a second chance.’ 

Shikamaru had to withhold a gasp when Uchiha caught his eye. The last Uchiha let his eyes flash red for just a moment, as a warning, and soon after Team 7 was leaving. Even when Sakura stopped to react to something Ino said Shikamaru kept his eyes on Uchiha ready to react should they attack. 

The noise of the market continued as normal. It was likely they had attracted the attention of any Jōnin in the area with the little standoff that had occurred but the civilians hadn’t noticed a thing. 

“Let’s go home,” Ino said with a soft sigh. The kunoichi turned and smiled at her team. “Sakura will be okay and one day when she’s ready, she’ll find me.” 

Chōji smiled sympathetically and offered Ino a precious potato chip. “It’ll be okay Ino,” Chōji said encouragingly. 

“Yeah, it will,” She agreed. 

Shikamaru didn't say a word. He just slipped his hands into his pockets and slunk after his team. ‘Troublesome,’ he thought to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Like my fic? Wanna talk to me about it?? Find me on tumblr! 9cloud-nine9.tumblr.com


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